Manage your subscription

Sinking salt heralds next El Niño

By Jeff Hecht

WANT to know up to a year in advance if El Niño is coming? Then the best thing to do might be to measure the salt in the ocean.

During an El Niño year, warm surface water spreads eastwards across the equatorial Pacific. This is linked to changes in weather patterns that lead to drought and failure of monsoon rains in Australia and southern Asia, and heavy rains and along the South American coast. Fisheries off South America are also affected.

These changes happen once every three to seven years. Scientists understand why El Niño …